One Wheel Too Many-2
Author: Elsa Rose with Miss Judy as prodder and idea lady
Plot Bunny: Jess
“Justin, you look much better this morning.” Granny smiled from the doorway of the room he slept in.
“I feel better. I don’t know what was in that tea you gave me, but my leg feels as good as new.” Using his crutches, Justin walked over to the table where Mandy and Aaron were sitting. “This is the first day since the accident that I’ve had no pain whatsoever, even my back feels great.” He couldn’t see his back but it was as clear as the day he was born, with not a mark on it. Brian loved Justin’s back; he would spend hours running his fingers over the smoothness of it under the guise of giving him a back rub.
“Well, that’s the way it is sometimes, Justin, a little bit of tea and it perks you right up. Now sit yourself down. I’m making flapjacks for breakfast.”
“Granny makes the best flapjacks in the whole world,” Mandy piped in. “She makes them with strawberry syrup.”
“And blackberry syrup, don’t forget that,” Aaron said. “Justin, I brought your stuff in from the car.”
“I thought maybe you had.” Justin smiled at the boy. “I noticed that my sketchbooks were stacked on the bedside table. Did you look at them?”
“No way, thems private.” Aaron looked surprised that Justin would even suggest such a thing.
“Well, I don’t mind if you do.” Justin looked at Aaron and at Mandy. “If you go and get one and a pencil, I’ll show you what I do to make a living.”
The two children sat entranced as Justin sketched pictures of their surroundings. He sketched Agnes, managing to capture the regal air about her. Even Buddy hopped up onto the back of Mandy’s chair to watch much to Justin’s amusement. A scratching at the door sent Mandy over to open it. Wolfy came in, he looked over at Justin, and then lay down beside the woodstove. A heavy sigh sounded in the air.
“Wolfy is making his views known,” Granny laughed. “He likes a little bit of attention now and then, but he doesn’t like to admit it. He’s like some humans, you know. When they’re young, something happens that makes them retreat into themselves. Kind of keep things close inside them. They wrap up their heart good and strong so that it’s darn near impossible to unwrap and fill it with love. It takes a special person to do that. Wolfy, he’s still not sure about us all here. It takes time and unconditional love. It takes accepting Wolfy for what he is and realizing that he had a life before he arrived here, so there maybe other loves in his life, no matter how buried.” She grinned at the three faces watching her.
“Enough of that. Now who wants flapjacks?” Granny carried a full plate over to the table. “I have two kinds of syrup like the children mentioned. We made it ourselves last summer. It has the taste of the sun in it.”
“I’ll get the milk,” Aaron said and stood up. He looked at Justin, “It’s from our cow, Maud. I milked her myself this morning, but this is yesterday milk. I like cold milk not hot milk, so it’s been setting in the ice house.”
“I like my milk cold too.” Justin smiled at the boy. It was then that he noticed that Aaron was blind. “Aaron, excuse me for mentioning this, but are you blind?”
“Do you mean, can I see?” Aaron asked. “I can see shadows kind of. But not really see. Mandy tells me things, so it’s okay, and sometimes Buddy does and Wolfy.”
“I didn’t know,” Justin said softly. He thought of the sure way the boy had of getting around and was amazed at what he could do.
“Granny says that you only need to see with your heart to be a good person. It’s good to see with your eyes, but your heart is most important.” Aaron smiled at Justin.
“Your granny has a good point,” Justin replied. He helped himself to the flapjacks, which sure looked like pancakes to him. “So you two picked the berries for the syrup did you?” he asked, changing the subject.
Mandy poured some blackberry syrup on her carefully buttered flapjacks. “I picked the most, but Aaron ate the most. He had a tummy ache.”
“I like blackberries” Aaron said as he too spread butter on his flapjacks. “Bears like blackberries too.”
“We saw Boo Bear when we were picking blackberries. He was bigger than…. “ Mandy searched for something to describe the bear. “Way bigger than you. He used to be so little he could fit in my bottom drawer.”
“He was?” Justin looked at Granny.
“He was such a sad, loveable little guy,” Granny said as she sat at the table with them. He’d been abandoned for some reason and was bare a few weeks old. Just a little bit of fur that’s all he was. We had quite a time getting him to eat, but he did eventually. It was nice to see him all grown up.”
“Even I could see him,” Aaron said with a blackberry smile. “I could smell him better though,” he laughed. “Bears stink.”
“Not to other bears they don’t,” Mandy said. “I bet bears think you stink too.”
“Now children, we don’t need to raise our voices to make ourselves heard,” Granny’s voice was soft.
“This breakfast is wonderful,” Justin said with a smile. “I’ve never had pancakes so light and fluffy.”
“It’s just a simple recipe passed down from my granny and her granny before her. I’d love to share it with you.” She looked carefully at Justin. “You know of course that it only works if you are making them for someone you love. It’s the love that puts the fluff in them.”
“That’s true, Justin,” Mandy’s voice was matter of fact. “Every time that Granny had to make them for our Uncle Jeb, they always tasted like gooey bricks,” she giggled. “Uncle Jeb is kind of a bad man but he’s gone now. He’s gone far, far away.”
“That man was enough to make a sugar bowl sour,” Granny agreed. “Some men were just not meant for the world of people.” She looked over at Justin. “Now young man, you must have been searching for something to have found us.”
“Not so much searching as running.” Justin looked down at his plate, his appetite gone. “It’s a long story.”
“Well, we have nothing but time; that’s what we have,” Granny began to eat her breakfast. Surprisingly, Wolfy stood up and walked over to sit beside Justin.
The wolf was a large one and he didn’t have to do much other than lean his snout down, to rest it on Justin’s leg. Justin’s hand went to Wolfy’s heavy head and he began to scratch the top, taking care to smooth over where his one ear had been. “What happened to Wolfy’s ear?” Justin asked. The wolf groaned in pleasure.
“When he was a pup, he got in the way of someone’s shotgun. He lost an eye and his ear was shredded, it had to come off. When I found him, he was almost dead from blood loss and shock. He and Boo Bear became best friends; I think the love they had for each other helped them both.”
“I think if you have someone who loves you, you can get over almost anything,” Justin’s voice was soft as he stroked the old wolf’s head. “He must miss his friend.”
“Oh, the two of them still get together every now and then. Wolfy could have gone out on his own when Boo Bear did, but he kind of liked it around here. I think he figures we’re his pack, even if we are a strange bunch. He keeps watch over us and makes sure we’re safe from both four-legged predators and two- legged ones,” she paused. “Do you miss your friend?” she asked.
“It’s funny, I’ve been with him for years, but I’ve missed him almost from the beginning. It seems I’ve never really been enough for him in a lot of different ways. I guess he just never loved me enough.”
“Or maybe, young man, you didn’t love him enough to see the love he had for you.” Granny patted Justin’s hand and stood up. It was time for Justin to think about what she’d said. “Mandy and Aaron, time for you to get your chores done.”
“I should go,” Justin said as he started to stand up. “I’ve put you and your family out long enough.”
“Have you got somewhere special to be?” she said with a shake of her head and a quiet laugh. “Why don’t you just relax, draw some of your pretty pictures. I could use the company.”
“Are you sure?” Justin asked. “I am feeling tired.”
“It’s all that healing your body is doing. Your bed is all freshly made, why don’t you have a lie down. I’ll call you when it’s time for lunch.”
“I’m not really concerned with the fact that you and the Professor want Gus and I to come over for dinner, we’ve got things to do.”
“Like what, running after that little brat?” Michael stood in the middle of Brian’s foyer looking indignant.
“He’s thirty-three years old Michael, I think he’s passed from the brat stage by now,” Brian snorted. He closed his suitcase. “Gus are you ready?” he called.
“Coming Dad.” Gus bounded into the room, his backpack stuffed. “I brought Justin’s red sweater. He might be cold. Oh, hi Uncle Mikey.” He kissed Michael’s cheek. “What’s up?”
“What’s up with you? Are you seriously willing to miss school to go look for ‘Justin’? You can stay with Ben and I. JR would love to have her brother visit.”
“I’m not actually JR’s brother; I’m more like her older really good friend,” Gus laughed. “Besides, I kind of owe it to Justin to bring him home. I haven’t been very nice to him.”
“But Gus, Justin….” Michael was going to say more, but he realized that Brian was right there and he was thoroughly pissed.
“Uncle Mikey, Justin loves me and dad. He really does. It doesn’t matter that I’ve been terrible to him. He really loves me. I know it now and I feel bad about stuff.” He looked at his father for help in explaining things.
“You’re doing just fine, Sonny Boy, but we don’t have time for this shit. Mikey, Gus and I are heading out to find Justin. I don’t know where he might go, but I have a few ideas that I’m going to follow.”
“But Briaaaan,” Michael began to whine.
“Later Mikey.” Brian opened the door and nodded for his friend to leave. “Gus and I’ll be back when we can.”
“I’ll call you,” Michael said.
“Why don’t you just worry about you and your little wifey? I’ll worry about mine.” Brian’s tongue in cheek smirk made Michael flush with irritation. He followed Brian and Gus outside and then stood watching them climb into Brian’s car noticing that Justin must have taken the SUV.
“Hey Dad, has Uncle Mikey always not liked Justin?” Gus asked when they’d finally made it out of the city.”
“Yeah, he pretty much decided that Justin was the enemy from the first day he met him. “
“Oh, how come?” Gus asked. His father had never really talked about his past, and Gus only heard a biased version of it from his mothers; one making his dad into a saint and the other into a sinner.
“Well, Mikey and I go way back. I met him in high school. He was this kind of nerdy looking, geeky guy that was always being picked on. Not because he got good grades or anything, but more because he just didn’t fit in with the ‘cool’ guys who where pretty much everyone else. I’d taken enough shit in my life and I hated to see anyone else have to do the same. So I stepped in and the next thing you know we were friends.”
“Oh, so he kind of tailed after you all the time, right?” Gus grinned, “Like a stalker or something.”
“Something like that,” Brian grinned remembering. “Of course, I didn’t mind all that much. It was kind of like having a dog or something.”
Gus giggled, “So he was jealous when you met Justin?”
“He knew before I knew just what Justin meant to me.” Brian shook his head. “I’m not sure how he knew, but he knew and what’s worse, Justin knew too. The little fucker had my number from that first night. He even told me so, not long after we met. I thought he was too young to know how to find his own ass, let alone to decide who he was spending the rest of his life with.” Brian’s laugh was almost bitter but then the tone changed as he remembered again that schoolboy haircut. He could see clear blue eyes reflecting admiration and worship, but eyes that also saw Brian Kinney for just exactly who he was. No blinders on that young twink, but it had taken Brian years to realize it, and years of Justin’s relentless love,faith and patience.
“So Justin, was he really only seventeen? Momma said he was seventeen when you know... when you first…” Gus’ voice trailed off, it was hard to say that your father and the man who had been like a second father had fucked.
“When we first fucked? Yeah,” Brian laughed. “I always told Justin I didn’t remember much about that night, but I’ve never forgotten a minute of it,” he laughed. “You should have seen him; when Melanie called to tell me that you were born, there was no choice, I had to take Justin with me for my first look at you.”
“That’s kind of cool,” Gus said, he knew this part of the story, he’d heard it from a lot of people. Of course, the interpretation was often different. He kind of liked his dad’s version best. “Justin named me.”
“Oh, so you know that part.” Brian smiled remembering how pissed Mel was over that one.
“Yeah, I remember once when I was real little, I was having a hard time about my name in preschool. It’s not like there are a lot of kids called Gus. I was sleeping over at your place and Justin was there. I don’t know where you were, but Justin lay with me on my bed and told me about how he named me Gus because that was the name of his teddy bear. He said his teddy bear had always been his best friend no matter what and he figured that it was like naming me after some kind of famous person or something.”
Brian guffawed when he heard that. At the time it made Justin’s seventeen years seem younger than he’d thought. “His fucking teddy bear was his best friend.”
“Yeah, well Dad, Justin was probably kind of a weird kid. You know, he’s like that now, only as an adult it’s not so bad. He told me once, that for as long as he could remember, he’s been treated differently. He thought at first that there was something wrong with him. You know, because no one really loved him for who he was... Justin Taylor. They loved him because he could draw, or that he always passed all his exams with super marks. You know stuff like that. When he tried to be a regular kid, they wouldn’t pay any attention to him. So he kind of figured he was unlovable.” Gus looked at his father. “You know Dad, I knew this. Justin told me and I was still mean to him. I was just making him feel that no one loved him like when he was a kid and he named me for his best friend.” There was a hitch in Gus’s voice when he said the last few words. He felt terrible.
Brian put his hand on the back of Gus’ head. He squeezed gently, he couldn’t say anything because of the lump in his throat. He hadn’t known that about Justin. No wonder he craved commitment and love from the one man he loved. It would validate who he was.
“Where are we going Dad?” Gus asked after a few moments. “Do you really know where Justin was going?”
“I’m not too sure, but I do know he liked to drive this way when he was pissed with me. He never knew I was aware of it but I used to check the GPS in the car just to see.”
“That’s kind of like spying on him. Don’t you trust Justin?” Gus stared at the GPS in the car they were driving.
“I trust him with my life. I always have.” Brian paused, why did he check up on Justin all the time? “I guess I just wanted to be sure he was safe. I don’t want to lose him.”
“But you did, he’s gone.” Gus turned his head away from his father and stared out the window.
Justin sat on a cushion, his back against the wall. His hand flew over the sketchbook he was holding as he filled the pages with the life going on around him. Granny was sitting on a wooden kitchen chair, her back straight, while she stitched the quilt that was stretched out on a frame in front of her. Mandy was at the table, carefully cutting squares of material from old clothing that had seen better days, yet still had some life in the threads. Aaron sat on the floor beside Justin, his legs crossed tailor fashion as he strummed an old and worn guitar, occasionally adding words to the tunes he made.
Wolfy lay beside Justin, his head resting on Justin’s thigh while Agnes, the white cat sat with her ends tucked in, on a chair beside Granny, her eyes following the steady movement of the old lady’s fingers as her quilting needle rocked in and out of the taut material. Buddy was perched as usual on the top of a chair beside Mandy. He liked the little girl and rarely let her out of his sight.
There was a pop from the wood in the wood stove, Justin could see a flash of ember then the flames flared for a moment before once again settling down. Supper had been over for a few hours and the chores done for the day, and while no one was actually talking, it was a companionable silence. Justin knew he’d treasure this moment for the rest of his life. It reminded him of evenings that he’d spend with Brian. Gus would be in his room working on his computer, Brian would be on the sofa, reading the latest detective novel while he sketched or painted.
Justin sketched the scenes before him as he thought of those evenings spent with his two favorite men. He remembered the silence and the feeling of peace. He recalled the touch of Brian’s hand on his ankle and how much he always touched him. It was as if confirming that he was really there and every touch, every quick glance, never failed to send a rush of heat deep inside of him. How could he have forgotten that?
“You know when you smile like that, you remind me of sunshine,” Granny commented.
“The mother of a friend calls me Sunshine,” Justin said. “And Brian does once in awhile as well.”
“Must be a good friend if his mother knows you well enough to call you love names,” Granny said with a smile.
“I’ve known him for a long time,” Justin admitted. “I don’t think I’d call him a good friend. I mean he’s more than an acquaintance and not actually an enemy.” Justin sighed, “The thing is, he’s my partner’s friend from childhood and….
“And he’s always been rather resentful of your presence,” Granny finished for Justin. “Well of course that’s because he loves your partner. Childhood friendships that endure the years usually were formed as a protection of some sort. No doubt the two children faced some kind of adversity and they survived by sticking together and making sure each one was safe. I’m sure your partner’s friend is worried that maybe you’ll hurt your Brian. Oh, not physically, but mentally and of course perhaps break his heart. That’s one of the worst hurts,” she sighed. “The fact that you were younger and no doubt better looking, was just an extra knife thrust in your friend’s heart.”
Justin thought for a few minutes. “When someone you love hurts inside, it’s worse than any other pain, because you can’t do much to help.”
“That’s right. It’s a hard lesson to learn and it’s a hard lesson to live with. I imagine that each time your Brian’s friend sees him hurt by anything, it causes him great pain,” Granny said as she continued to stitch on the brightly colored quilt.
Justin stopped sketching, while he thought about what she’d said. He’d never really given a lot of thought to the reasons behind Michael’s animosity; maybe he should have. He knew that Michael resented the fact that he had grown up as part of the country club set, that he’d attended private school and seemed to have had it easy growing up. It hadn’t been quite the way Michael perceived it. Growing up in a home with a father, who acted as a controlling dictator, wasn’t a bowl of cherries that was for damn sure. Justin had always envied Michael’s easy-going relationship with his mother and his Uncle Vic. Maybe they should have talked about things like that, but he’d never taken time to share much of his former life with Michael. After the Ethan debacle, the already strained relationship was pretty much nonexistent.
“You know Justin, when you go back; it isn’t too late to mend fences,” Granny’s voice was soft. It was as if she was reading his mind.
“Dad do you have any idea where we are?” Gus looked around; all he could see were fog shrouded trees. Maybe if the fog lifted, there would be more to see.
“I’m not actually sure.” Brian was leaning forward his nose almost pressing against the windshield as if that would help him see through the fog. “I know Justin liked driving these back roads when he wanted to think. He liked to park and sketch.”
“Did you ever mention to him that one tree is pretty much the same as the next one?” Gus asked as he too had his nose pressed to the window. “This place is too spooky, maybe we should go back and find a place to spend the night?”
“Great plan, Sonny Boy, but you did notice that the road is about two inches wide. I don’t think I could turn around without ending up in the ditch.”
“Maybe we should pull into the first driveway and just wait for the fog to go.”
“Not sure there is a driveway, but there might be clearing or maybe an old logging road, we could turn around.” Brian drove a few more minutes. He thought he saw an almost hidden side road. Taking a chance he was right, he managed to pull the car into it. Before he could back up to turn around the distinct sound of a tire blowing filled the car. “What the fuck?” Brian said. The car listed and Brian groaned, the sound loud in the car.
“Want me to change the tire, Dad?” Gus asked. He knew his father wouldn’t have a clue how to change it. Justin teased him about things like this all the time, he would get a laugh out of this, that is if they every found him.
“Great idea, if I had a tire for you to change it with.” Brian got out of the car to confirm his fears. “I meant to get a new spare, but I forgot. Justin was supposed to remind me, but then with the accident, I guess he forgot.”
“Uh, Dad, you’re kind of a big boy, couldn’t you remind yourself?” Gus snickered. His dad had a point, Justin was always looking after him, making his life easier, picking up dry-cleaning, making sure the car was serviced.
“But Justin always does this stuff.” Brian sighed as he realized that he sounded like a spoiled brat (he was sounding) and at his age it wasn’t becoming. “There’s no point in wandering the roads right now. We can’t see our hand in front of our face. I sure hope you don’t mind sleeping in the relative coffin-like confines of this sports car.”
“I’d prefer an SUV,” Gus giggled, “But I guess I can’t have everything.” He put his seat back and settled in for the wait.
Brian got back into the car and did the same. They’d barely relaxed when a tapping on the car made Brian sit up straight. “What was that?” he asked.
“Hey Mister, Granny sent me to get you.”
Brian looked out. Standing beside his car, was a young boy of about ten. He smiled at Brian and Gus even though his eyes were unseeing. One hand was on the head of a wolf-like dog with one ear and one eye.
“Pardon?” Brian said feeling like he was in an episode of the X-files.
“Buddy told Granny you were here and she sent me to get you. She said she’s got supper waiting so not to take too long. We have to walk through the woods. It’s a short cut.”
“And we’re supposed to go with you?” Brian looked at Gus who shrugged his shoulders. “I guess it can’t hurt, you aren’t an axe murderer or anything are you?” he asked the boy.
The boy giggled. “My name is Aaron and I’m just a kid. Granny has an axe but she cuts wood with it. She said when I get older, I can cut wood too, but I’m too little right now.”
“Well, I make it a point to stay away from axes and I’m a lot older than you are,” Brian laughed. “Come on Sonny Boy, we’re going to Granny’s for dinner.”
“Dad, are you sure this is okay?” Gus didn’t like the idea of walking through the rather uninviting woods. It was getting darker all the time and the fog wasn’t helping things any.
“We gotta go, I’m hungry and so is Wolfy.” Aaron turned and started walking back the way he came.
“Are you sure you know the way?” Brian asked. He locked his car and his hand on Gus’ shoulder; he began to follow the boy and his dog. Brian eyed the dog warily; it did look very wolf like.
“I growed up here. I know everywhere and Wolfy helps me if I forget. Wolfy never forgets. What’s your name?”
“Oh, sorry, I’m Brian and my son’s name is Gus.”
“I like that name, Gus is a good name, it makes me feel all safe and snuggly.”
“No shit?” Gus said. “Kind of like a teddy bear,” he snorted, this was too weird.
“Yep, kinda like that. I bet Gus would be a good bear name. I named my bear Boo Bear, but Gus would have been good too.” Aaron walked along, sure footed among the trees.
“Yes, I’ve heard it’s a good bear name,.” Brian said and gently squeezed the back of Gus’ neck. “Of course it’s a good boy name too.”
“Yes, I like it.” Aaron turned back to where Brian and Gus were. “Justin said that Aaron is a good strong name. He said I look like an Aaron.” He sighed, “I don’t know for sure what an Aaron looks like. I can’t really see me in the mirror.”
“That must suck,” Gus said. “You look like an Aaron to me. Hey Aaron, this Justin, is he your friend?”
“Yep, he’s my friend. He’s got a sore leg, but Granny is making it all better.”
“He wouldn’t be blond and kind of cute would he?” Gus asked. “I mean in a guy kind of way.”
Aaron giggled. “I can only see his light; it’s pretty and very bright.” He turned to Brian, “Brian’s light is yellow and red, which means he is full of passion. That’s what my granny said. Your light is yellow and red with a tiny bit of green at the edges. It’s like the green is fading away, it’s not quite gone, but I bet it will be soon, “ he smiled at Gus. “That’s a good thing, green means you are filled with envy. But now you don’t have envy, well just a little bit, but it’s going away.”
“How come if you can’t see, you can see our lights?” Gus asked, he was curious about this strange kid. He knew about auras from books he’d read.
“Granny says that when one part of you doesn’t work, another will work that maybe you didn’t know you have. My eyes don’t work the way yours do, that’s all.”
Wolfy, yipped.
“We’re almost home.”
“Wolfy, he kind of looks like a broken wolf,” Gus said. He wanted to pat the big animal, but the one yellow eye that looked at him, didn’t give him a lot of confidence.
“He was broken. But he’s just a bit bent now. He was too little to remember much, but he does know that he can’t always trust humans. I can tell he likes you.”
“He does? How do you know?” Gus asked as he moved closer.
“Gus,” Brian cautioned, a wolf was a wolf, no matter how cutesy of a name he was given.
“It’s okay, Brian.” Aaron looked directly at Brian. “Now you have a worried color. If Wolfy didn’t like you or Gus, he’d be back at the house by the stove. He wouldn’t stay here.”
“I’m glad he likes us. I wouldn’t want to be alone in the woods with a blind kid,” Brian joked as he reached over and ruffled Aaron’s hair.
“You’re funny,” Aaron said pleased with the attention from Brian. “Are you Gus’ daddy?”
“Yes, I am.”
“I don’t have a daddy. I used to have one, but I don’t anymore. He died.” Aaron turned and continued to walk. “I didn’t really know him much. He was always away. He was in the army. But when he came home to visit, his light was blue which meant he was kind of sad, but had lots of love lights in it. He loved me and Mandy a whole bunch.”
“I bet he did, you’re a fine boy,” Brian smiled. He looked up and could see that there was cabin in a clearing showing through the trees.
“Sorry about your dad,” Gus said, he leaned over and gave Aaron a quick hug. “You can share mine.”
“That’s cool, but I kind of like Justin as my dad.” Aaron looked shy. “He reminds me of daddy.”
“Justin is my dad too. I have two dads.” Gus looked at Brian for confirmation of what he was saying.
“That’s right Aaron, Gus has two dads. I’m sure Justin won’t mind you thinking of the two of us as your dads as well.”
“And Mandy too, ‘cause she’s my sister.” By now they were walking through the yard toward the house. The fog seemed to have lifted and the night sky was clear and bright.
“And Mandy too,” Brian replied generous with his and Justin’s affections. Knowing Justin was close, made him feel like he was walking on air. It was all he could do not to run to the house.
Inside, Justin was sitting on Granny’s chair admiring the colors of the quilt and the intricate design she’d woven with the many scraps of fabric. Granny was at the wood stove stirring a pot of something that smelled like stew, its fragrance heavy in the cabin. Mandy was finishing up setting the table.
“Mandy, you have too many places set,” Justin called to the little girl. “There’s only four of us.”
“No, there isn’t silly, we’ve got company, Aaron is bringing them.”
Buddy fluffed his feathers from his place on the upper bracket of the quilt frame. “Meeeeooooooowwww,” he said in his raven accented voice.
Agnes glared at him from her place on the quilt. She was curled up on one end of it enjoying the taut cotton and her unusual perch. Her head went back down, her eyes closed, but Justin had the feeling that she was well aware of what was going on.
“Granny we’re here,” Aaron said from the now open door.
Justin looked up.
“Sunshine, fancy meeting you here,” Brian grinned at Justin, in that lopsided grin that had always made Justin’s heart melt no matter how mad he was at the other man.
Justin couldn’t stop the face splitting grin that enveloped him as he looked at the man he loved. Instantly, Brian had crossed the floor and scooped Justin up in his arms as if he weighed nothing. “You came for me,” he whispered into his lover’s neck.
“I’ll always come for you Justin,” Brian said softly, his voice shook with emotion. “Thank gawd, I found you.”
“We found you,” Gus said. He stood beside Justin and his father. He looked at Justin and put his arms around both men. “I’m sorry I’ve been such a shit. I love you, Justin,” he said.
Justin looked into the young eyes of his stepson. He could see the truth of what the boy had said reflected in his eyes. “Hey Gus, glad to see you guys here.” Justin continued to press into Brian’s chest. He didn’t want to leave the safety of his lover’s arms.
“My, you boys cut it mighty fine. Supper is ready. Aaron you show Brian and Gus where to wash up. Justin, Mandy will bring you a wet cloth.” Granny was placing dinner on the table.
“Granny, this is…” Justin began.
“I know, my Boy, I know. This is the wonderful Brian and your son Gus.” She smiled at the two of them. “I just knew that you’d find your way here. After all, we are in the valley of love.”
“I can go with Brian and Gus.” Justin made a move for his crutches.
“I’m sure you can, but I think Aaron would like to show the boys.” She smiled gently at her grandson. “Now Aaron,” she said softly. When Brian and Gus had obediently followed Aaron into the back of the cabin, Granny looked at Justin “Now young man, have you decided to really see the love these two have for you in their hearts?”
Justin didn’t hesitate. He knew what the old woman was asking. “Yes.”